Editotial: Clear garbage bags raise privacy dilemma

Bradford West Gwillimbury Topic

There is something very Orwellian about the notion of you being forced to use clear bags when disposing of our garbage.
In neighbouring York Region, Markham is the first municipality to publicly consider the concept, which is being used by more than 50 municipalities in Nova Scotia as well as Dufferin County and Guelph.
Requiring clear bags would allow garbage collectors to have a look at what you are throwing out, allowing operators to refuse pickup if there are banned items or recyclables in the bag.
A notice and recycling education material from the municipality can be placed on the resident’s door. In extreme cases, a fine can be issued if the problem persists.
Unfortunately, clear bags also make your garbage public, so nosey neighbours walking the dog (or on their biweekly trash pickup day stroll/patrol) can find out more about you.
The concept is a warning or fine as well as peer pressure from avid recyclers up the street will force those who aren’t recycling as fervently to get with the program.
Yes, incredibly, given all the education and public awareness and the fact recycling programs have been in effect for decades, there are still those who don’t separate their recyclables.
But as with anything that is supposedly for the public good, we will always have a few who won’t get onboard. And at what cost do we get them to change?
Is shaming residents or threatening fines where we want to go when recycling rates, through voluntary participation, are already admirably high?
Will forcing clear bags risk an invasion of your privacy? Not entirely.
You would still be allowed one smaller opaque bag inside the clear bag to dispose of personal items.
You would also be allowed to place the clear bag inside a larger trash can — although it would seem counterproductive if this change led to the sale of thousands of thick plastic garbage pails, when one of the main ideas is to cut down on plastic.
Even then, as it was taken out of the can and put in the truck, someone would still be scrutinizing your trash in a way that might take some getting used to.
But there’s no reason it shouldn’t happen in the northern six York Region municipalities and elsewhere in the GTA.
The combining of waste collection for Aurora, East Gwillimbury, Georgina, King, Newmarket and Whitchurch-Stouffville saw our level of waste diversion almost double and exceed the provincial target.
BOTTOM LINE: Clear garbage bags may be next measure to help improve our waste diversion.